A few of my favorite things: Automatism

Hello, I’m Lori from the automatism blog — lovely to meet you! Holly was kind enough to invite me to be a part of her August guest series, “A few of my favorite things” while she’s busily moving, so here are a few objects from my home that I thought I’d share with you.

This beautiful little porcelain bowl (it’s just the right size for me to hold cupped in my hands) was the start of what is now a small collection of bowls made by local potters. I love the coppery tones of the glaze and the interesting texture, created by scratching into the glaze before firing.

On bright afternoons the sun streams through the white cotton roman blinds in my kitchen and makes these silk cherry blossom branches (which I display in a plain tall glass vase mixed with bare branches) glow. I never get tired of how pretty these look — plus, as I’m so terrible with plants, it gives me the illusion of nature!

I recently invested in a set of white Sophie Conran dishes, which are so beautifully designed that they make even a bowl of muesli in the morning an occasion. Just lovely to use.

I picked up this fragment of driftwood from the shore of the lake in northern Ontario where my mum and step dad lived for years before their recent move back into town. It reminds me of summer days spent canoeing at dusk, sunny afternoons paddling about in the shallows, and listening to the haunting cry of loons late at night.

Several years ago Andrew and I visited London, where I found this lovely old skittle in an antique shop on Portobello Road. The proprietor was a sweet and shy man — I remember he had a sign above his tiny counter that read, “All prices are final as the owner is not emotionally equipped to haggle.”

I feel lucky to be a visual person as I find inspiration all around me, from films, books and magazines to the way the afternoon light falls on a glass of water. There’s so much beauty around us — all we have to do is pay attention. I have a favourite quote by the French writer Collette that’s become a bit of a motto for me: “Be happy. It’s one way of being wise.” I think it’s a good way to live one’s life.

(images: automatism)

Tags: favorite things